Organic Polyradicals as Redox Mediators: Effect of Intramolecular Radical Interactions on Their Efficiency.

The spin-spin interactions between unpaired electrons in organic (poly)radicals, especially nitroxides, are largely investigated and are of crucial importance for their applications in areas such as organic magnetism, molecular charge transfer, or multiple spin labeling in structural biology. Recently, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxyl and polymers functionalized with nitroxides have been described as successful redox mediators in several electrochemical applications; however, the study of spin-spin interaction effect in such an area is absent. This communication reports the preparation of a novel family of discrete polynitroxide molecules, with the same number of radical units but different arrangements to study the effect of intramolecular spin-spin interactions on their electrochemical potential and their use as oxidation redox mediators in a Li-oxygen battery. We find that the intensity of interactions, as measured by the d1/d electron paramagnetic resonance parameter, progressively lowers the reduction potential. This allows us to tune the charging potential of the battery, optimizing its energy efficiency.

Supportive Care.

This chapter takes its point of departure in psychosocial aspects of supportive care in adolescent and young adult cancer care. The purpose is to describe some of the challenges that these young people face following a cancer diagnosis and guide healthcare professionals in how to provide care that improves the quality of life. In most hospitals and healthcare systems, adolescents and young adults are cared for and treated in settings for children or adults. Accordingly, healthcare professionals may lack attention to and knowledge about what characterize young peoples' life situation, their special needs and how to meet them. The topics we include in the chapter are the following: the youth friendly environment, social support and social network, parents, information during a psychosocial crisis event, the use of HEADSS, peer support, fertility, body image and self-esteem, after treatment and future challenges and palliative and end of life care.

Spiritual support for adolescent cancer patients: a survey of pediatric oncology centers in Italy and Spain.

INTRODUCTION: Spirituality is a fundamental aspect of the psychological well-being of adolescents with cancer. This study reports on a survey conducted at pediatric oncology centers in Italy and Spain to examine the situation concerning the provision of spiritual support. METHODS: An ad hoc questionnaire was distributed including multiple-choice questions on whether or not spiritual support was available; the spiritual counselor's role; how often the spiritual counselor visited the unit; and the type of training this person had received. RESULTS: A spiritual support service was available at 24 of the 26 responding centers in Italy and 34/36 in Spain. The training received by the spiritual counselor was exclusively theological in most cases (with medical or psychological training in a few cases). In both countries the spiritual counselor was mainly involved in providing religious services and support at the terminal stage of the disease or in talking with patients and families. Cooperation with caregivers was reported by 27.3% and 46.7% of the Italian and Spanish centers, respectively, while the daily presence of the chaplain on the ward was reported by 18.2% and 26.7%. CONCLUSIONS: The role of the spiritual counselor in pediatric oncology - in Italy and Spain at least - is still neither well-established nor based on standardized operating methods or training requirements. A model that implies the constant presence of a spiritual counselor in hospital wards may be proposed to provide appropriate spiritual support to adolescents with cancer.

Valoración de la capacidad funcional de niños con tumores sólidos / Assessment of the exercise capacity of children with solid tumors

Introducción: El ejercicio físico podría ser una herramienta eficaz para mantener alta la capacidad funcional en los pacientes con tumores sólidos (TS), pero antes de comenzar a analizar su efecto, debemos establecer si dicha capacidad funcional está disminuida en la población que padece esta enfermedad. El objetivo de este trabajo fue comparar la capacidad funcional y la agilidad de las tareas de la vida diaria en niños que padecen TS respecto a niños sanos controles (NS). Material/métodos: Se seleccionaron 52 niños, 24 pacientes de TS del HIUNJ (edad (años) 10±4,2; altura (cm) 146±21,9; peso (kg) 41,3±20,2; IMC (kg/m2) 18,1±4,9) y 28 niños sanos pareados en edad(años) 8 ±3,4; altura (cm) 137±21,4; peso (kg) 33,6±13,7; IMC (kg/m2) 17,1±2,1. Las variables analizadas fueron: capacidad funcional (VO2pico, VO2VT1) medida a través de prueba de esfuerzo con análisis de gases y agilidad (tiempo utilizado en los test funcionales «Test Up and Go 3m» (TUG-3) y «Test Up and Down Stairs12» (TUDS-12). Para el análisis de datos, se utilizó la prueba estadística T-student (SPSS.20). Resultados: La capacidad funcional, medida a través de VO2pico, en niños con TS fue significativamente más baja que en NS (25±8,8 ml·kg-1·min-1 vs 40,9±8,9 ml·kg-1·min-1 respectivamente), el VO2VT1 fue también menor para el grupo de niños de TS (17,1±6 ml·kg-1·min-1 vs 25,7±4,9 ml·kg-1·min-1). No se encontraron diferencias significativas en la FCpico. Los test funcionales no mostraron diferencias entre ambos grupos. Discusión/Conclusión: Los niños que padecen TS tienen un descenso de un 38,8% en su capacidad funcional. Según Myers et al. 2002 (N Engl J Med 2002; 4:793-801), un descenso de 3,5 ml/kg/min de la capacidad funcional se asocia con una reducción de un 12% en la tasa de longevidad en poblaciones enfermas. La capacidad funcional más baja de los niños con TS afecta al proceso evolutivo de su enfermedad, sugiriendo el ejercicio como herramienta capaz de incrementar dicha capacidad funcional

Introduction: Physical exercise would be an efficient tool in order to maintain a high exercise capacity in solid tumors patients (ST), but before to analyze its effects, we must establish whether this exercise capacity is reduced in the population who suffer this illness. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the exercise capacity and agility (functional mobility) of the day live tasks in children who suffer TS respect those healthy matched (HC). Materials and methods: We studied a total of 52 children, 24 patients of ST from HIUNJ (age (years old) 10±4,2; height (cm) 146±21,9; weight (kg) 41,3±20,2; BMI (kg/m2) 18,1±4,9) and 28 healthy control children matched in age (years old) 8 ±3,4; height (cm) 137±21,4; weight (kg) 33,6±13,7; BMI (kg/m2) 17,1±2,1. The studied outcomes included: exercise capacity (VO2peak, VO2VT1) measured by a treadmill exercise testing using a metabolic chart «breath by breath»; and agility or functional mobility (seconds), time to finish the «Test Up and Go 3m» (TUG-3) and «Test Up and Down Stairs 12» (TUDS-12). T-student (SPSS.20) statistical test was used to data analysis. Results: Exercise capacity, measured by VO2peak, was significantly lower in children with ST than in HC (25±8,8 ml·kg-1·min-1 vs 40,9±8,9 ml·kg-1·min-1 respectively) and the VO2VT1 was also lower in ST group (17,1±6 ml·kg-1·min-1 vs 25,7±4,9 ml·kg-1·min-1). We did not found significantly differences in the peak heart rate neither in the agility or functional mobility between both groups. Conclusions: Solid tumors children have a 38,8% reduced their exercise capacity. According to Myers et al. 2002 (N Engl JMed 2002; 4:793-801), an exercise capacity decrease of 3,5 ml·kg-1·min-1 is associated with a risk of longevity reduction of a 12%. A lower exercise capacity in the ST group concerns the illness evolutionary process, and they suggest the exercise as a tool be capable to increase this capacity